


Forbidden

by CaptainoftheRirenShip



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angel Eren Yeager, Angel/Demon Relationship, Demon Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), M/M, War, ereri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-08 20:28:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7772020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainoftheRirenShip/pseuds/CaptainoftheRirenShip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Guilt is something the son of Lucifer is unfamiliar with, until he is forced to save a pure soul by ruining it forever. Ereri/riren. Demon/Angel AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> haHA youll all kill me for starting a new one but fffuck it
> 
> If you're uncomfortable with fics that twist and misinterpret religious figures, there's the door.

"I can smell you, little angel. Where are you hiding?"

The moon cast a faint glow in the dark alleyway, brightly illuminating the white figure attempting to hide in the maze of twists and turns. Jade green orbs flickered hither and tither, searching for an escape route, attempting to predict where the predator would emerge. He knew the man - the creature - could smell the blood that smeared across his pristine, silk shirt sleeve and the smooth, tanned skin of his forearm. The crimson dripped down, making his sleeve stick to his arm, and the splatters from his fingers left not only a visual, but a scent trail, leading the hunter directly to him. His hyperventilation couldn't be helping much, either. He couldn't hide; his only means of escape was running, but what if he ran straight into his pursuer? He had no idea where the voice was coming from.

Why, oh, why did he ever disregard his family's warnings?

"This is your first time on the surface, isn't it?"

The delicate whisper and warm, gentle breath on his ear had Eren shrieking, tumbling to the dirty ground. He gasped for air in the throes of panic. He was going to die. Worse, he would be abducted as some sort of slave to torture for sick amusement. Or worse, oh God, oh fuck, he was going to live a life of pain and agony forever and ever -

"Hey, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. Probably."

Pausing to attempt catching his breath, the angel realized that this voice was different. Gentle. Not at all harsh or threatening like the other one, and the figure that hovered over Eren was much shorter than the one chasing him. A hand was offered to Eren, and as he accepted it, hoisting himself up, the moon shed light on his savior's features. Jet-black undercut, muscled build, a few piercings - lip and eyebrow. Silver eyes.

Curved horns. Spaded tail. Cat-like pupils. Fangs.

Promptly, the demon had to cover the brunet's mouth before he could scream again. Eren thrashed in his arms, even stronger than they looked. Damned demons! How could he have allowed himself to be deceived? The two were probably in cahoots, planning to kidnap him and take him back to Lucifer, to be kept in a degrading cage and rags, to be tortured or beaten or raped whenever the demons felt the whim.

"Will you calm the fuck down?!" that voice hissed, slightly less flattering in its urgency. "Kenny is coming for you. We need to go." He released the angel and beckoned for him to follow, tail flicking about. The other stared at him in bewilderment.

"What makes you think I want your help?" Eren queried.

The demon gave an aggravated sigh, glancing over his shoulder. "You've attracted not only the attention of the most dangerous and cruel hunter down here, but several of his cronies. They were already following your scent, though I respect your wisdom in not showing your wings. But they can definitely hear your loud ass."

Wearily, Eren asked, "And why should I trust you?"

"Let me put it this way," the raven replied, looking forward and starting to make his way down the alley. "What choice do you really have?"

Well, when he put it that way . . . Eren was stupid, but he had a sense of self-preservation, and even he could tell the wisdom of trusting this person. It was better than the alternative, at least. The brunet scrambled after him, clutching his throbbing forearm. "I'm Eren. What's your name?"

"Levi, now shut up and follow me. We can talk when you're out of danger." Levi halted abruptly in his tracks at his own words, whirling around to look at the angel following him. His eyes landed on the blood dripping from the brunet's sleeve, and he rolled his eyes. "Just great. I knew I smelled blood, but I didn't think it was that bad."

"I can't help when one of your asshole friends tries to take me out with silver," Eren shot back coldly.

"They are not my friends," Levi hissed, spitting out the last word venomously. He reached for Eren's forearm. "Let me see that."

Eren snatched his arm away reflexively, eyes going wide with suspicion and fear. "Why?" he demanded shakily. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Demons can smell you from all around. Let me see."

"You said you could get me out of here! Now, all of a sudden, you're interested in my injury?!"

"You insufferable brat!" Levi burst out with furiously. "Conditions have changed, okay?! You smell like a fucking five-star meal and you're leaving a trail for anyone and everyone to follow!"

"A - A meal?" Eren looked terrified now, and Levi internally berated himself for his word choice. He didn't need the poor kid panicking. "They would eat me?"

"After smelling that? Probably." Levi reached out again, less sudden this time, asking, "So will you let me help?"

"Why even are you helping?" Eren asked, though he reluctantly offered up his bleeding arm. "And no magic. I can't have a demon tainting me. Father would have my head."

"I know that, idiot." Levi tore the sleeve at the shoulder with a small dagger he kept at his belt, and used it to mop up most of the excess blood. "I know who you are, Eren. Not only are you one of God's children, but you're an innocent. You haven't become a warrior yet. You're pure. The truce is shaky enough with rogue demons claiming fallen angels, let alone important ones like you." He wrapped the cloth around the deep laceration, apologizing quietly when Eren hissed. "Sorry. But that should help some. I'm sure you can get better help when you return home."

"Thanks," Eren responded distantly, hung up on Levi's words. So he'd known all along? What had given him away? Was his name that well-known among demons?

"We should keep moving," Levi said briskly, standing and dusting himself off. He offered a helping hand to Eren yet again, and the brunet accepted it gratefully, not even sure when he'd slid to the ground.

As if on cue, a mocking voice rang out. "You haven't moved, morsel. Have you given in?"

Eren jerked away from Levi's touch at the sound, head whipping about to scan behind them. There was no sign of the demon from before, but his voice was so clear. Surely he was nearby-?

"Magic," Levi answered the unspoken question. "A simple hunter's trick. He knows where you are, but he isn't here yet. Since he knows your location, he knows where to project his voice."

"If he can track me, why can't he detect you?" Eren asked shakily, eyes still darting about.

"I have a few evasive wards." His tone was just as much so. Levi turned back to Eren, expression unreadable. "You're probably going to hate me for this, kid."

"Hate you for what?" Eren met his gaze, eyes wide and scared and yet so unsuspecting of his new friend. It sent something like guilt coursing through Levi when he shoved Eren against one of the grimy buildings.

"This," he breathed against the angel's neck, before his teeth sank down into the soft tan skin.

It was like an electric shock. Eren's knees wouldn't support him, and he buckled. A knee shoved between his legs and hands pinning his wrists were the only reason he was still upright as that white-hot feeling sent sparks up his spine, and he lost control of his muscles when they suddenly relaxed. His heart beat so quickly he thought it would give out. It felt like an eternity they stood there, Eren's voice echoing at them in a mimic of the cry he'd let out. Then the fangs were retracting and Levi's tongue traced over the bite mark, lapping up the blood there.

 _W-What . . . what the_ fuck _. . ._

The train of thought he'd attempted derailed when smooth lips latched on and started sucking. Somewhere in his mind he registered that he was going to regret this, that it was wrong and he would be punished, but holy fuck he couldn't bring himself to care. What exactly was this feeling? Was this the euphoria he'd been warned about? How was this sinful? It was incredible.

His hands opened and closed pointlessly on empty air. The feeling was too much, starting with his gut and moving outwards, sending his head into the clouds and making his limbs tremble and tingle. He needed something to grasp, to bring Levi closer to him, to get more of that beautiful pleasure. As if in response to his silent plea, Levi slid his fingers between Eren's and let the brunet clasp his hands tightly, fingernails digging deep into the backs of the demon's hands as Eren's breath turned to breathy, gasping moans.

"Found you, little morsel . . . ah."

Eren's heart dropped suddenly at the voice. He tried to turn his head to look at his pursuer, but a feral growl from Levi sent more heated sparks through his body and warned him to stay put.

"I see you caught wind of my prey," the grating voice continued, coming closer. Eren squeezed his eyes shut, doing his best not to disobey Levi. "Want to hand him over?"

_"Mine."_

The ravenet's head whipped around and he bared his fangs at the hunter, the low, possessive hiss stopping him in his tracks and sending a delicious shiver through Eren's entire being. He couldn't see either demon's face, but before he could even finish the thought wishing he could, Levi shoved his thigh between Eren's legs and started to grind.

The angel's voice was smothered by the wave of raw ecstasy that slammed into him then, nothing but a weak mewl escaping his throat as he fell still. He fought to regain control of himself, to get his mind clear and limbs working, but Levi was having none of it. Even as Eren tried to fight it, tried to keep the blinding pleasure away, he was overwhelmed when Levi continued to grind his thigh against the barely concealed bulge. The brunet was lost to the throes of ecstasy then, rutting against the demon's leg like a bitch in heat and letting out broken whines.

Levi's voice filtered through the blinding haze, vicious and threatening. "I've claimed him, Kenny. Fuck off."

And then it was over.

Eren slid to the ground with support from Levi in the form of gentle hands on his hips. The white faded from Eren's vision slowly but surely, as did the heat from his body, and what he saw was Levi's concerned face inches from his. When he looked around, they were alone. His body was limp as he caught his breath.

"I'm sorry," Levi whispered.

The realization of what happened hit Eren like a slap to the face. He withdrew into a fetal position, and Levi could only stare helplessly as the angel started to cry.

His life was ruined, and he'd enjoyed it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter two because I wanted this

Levi had never experienced guilt before. It was new. It was foreign. It sent the strangest feeling throughout his entire body, his heart sinking in a way completely unfamiliar. Every sob that wracked Eren's fragile form was an uncomfortable shiver down the demon's spine.

He didn't like it one bit.

"H-How . . . _why?"_

The sniffle caused the strangest ache in Levi's chest, and he pushed it down immediately.

"You wanted to survive, didn't you?" he responded with his typical collected calm. "I had no other choice."

"You could have warned me," Eren whispered, voice so faint and quiet a human wouldn't have picked it up. "You could have, at least."

"Eren - "

The raise in the angel's voice was so sudden Levi flinched. "You could have asked before ruining my life, you _monster!"_

Never before had words stung so harshly. He'd been called so much worse, been cursed and abused for smaller mistakes. And yet shame still flooded Levi's body, coursing through his veins and mingling with the guilt. What was he supposed to do? Let the kid die? Be held responsible for the loss of an innocent? Possibly allow war to break out? But now that pure soul wasn't pure. It was like a spilled inkwell, a mistake that could have been avoided, and was now slowly seeping into the white parchment and ruining the blank canvas.

When those teal eyes turned towards him, Levi could see it for an instant. Those two pinpricks on Eren's neck, the mating mark, before it became invisible when the brunet's head lowered. The lust that still swirled in those green depths. The fire, the anger - a manifestation of Levi's own sins that seeped through their now unbreakable bond.

What had he been thinking?

"I - I'm sorry," came a flustered, hoarse whimper before Levi could get out his own pathetic apology. Eren sounded frightened and confused, a downplay on the emotions that no doubt threatened to overwhelm him. "I've never yelled at anyone before."

"It's all right," Levi responded instantly. Why wouldn't that guilt go away? "Are you, though? I shouldn't have done that."

"You saved my life." The angel ignored Levi's offered hand as he gathered himself and stood. There were trails down Eren's cheeks and his eyes were red from crying when he finally looked back at Levi, but there was no hate in green depths. "So I don't hate you. I . . . I've never experienced that kind of anger before. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Levi told him. "It's normal. That would be my fault."

There was no rebuttal; it _was_ Levi's fault. But Eren only bit his lip and lowered his gaze in response, not agreeing either. A long silence followed Levi's words, and finally, after what felt like years waiting, the demon cleared his throat.

"I suppose I should take you home now," he said rather awkwardly into the silence, and Eren nodded numbly.

"Please, if you would."

They started to walk, the desolate city completely silent around them. Eren was quiet compared to his state of panic, when he'd done nothing but talk. Levi wanted to do or say something, to make the young angel speak or smile, to fix this silence. Eren wasn't meant to be reserved. Innocents were fun and outgoing creatures, and while Eren had been tainted, he hadn't quite changed yet. He was only upset.

 _Only_. So why couldn't Levi shake off how guilty that distress made him feel?

He knew the answer. The bond. The bond _he_ had created. The bond they would never be able to destroy.

They held the silence, the route a blur. Levi paid no attention to the scenery around them as it changed, overwhelmed by the thoughts and emotions seeping through the bond. He was so focused on the confusion and stress tugging at him that when he felt the light magic tingle through his spine he found himself backpedaling and letting out a wild snarl, fear sparking in his heart. _Fear?_ Eren's, he discovered, when a small whimper reached his ears. An angel's response to a startled, defensive demon.

"I-Is something here?" the brunet managed in a high stammer, beautiful eyes darting around suspiciously. Levi internally berated himself, forcing his muscles to relax as he walked forward again.

"Nothing that threatens you." This time, when he stepped through the barrier, he didn't let it ruffle him. "Me, however . . . let's just hope they don't kill me for bringing you."

Eren didn't even seem to notice the border of angel magic when he passed through it. It struck Levi as strange. Shouldn't the brunet be relaxing? Instead, he still looked terrified.

"Who would kill you? Why?"

Doubt mingled in, creating a hysterical mess of emotions that swelled and overwhelmed Levi, intense enough he had to stop walking. It was too much for the demon to handle. These emotions, these sensations. _Feeling._ It was so foreign, and as he fought to keep standing, wave after wave of countless emotions - terror, betrayal, suspicion, hatred - slamming into him, he decided he definitely did not like these feelings.

"Where are you taking me? I thought we were going to a portal back home!"

Anger. That vehement anger that angels weren't supposed to experience - not pure ones. Not ones like Eren. Eren was special; his name was known among demons, associated with a harsh warning not to touch him, or they would be punished horribly. He was son to God himself. To hurt him guaranteed war.

"I trusted you! I trusted you, you monster! I should have known!"

Hadn't Eren called him that already? A few minutes prior? Half an hour? Several? He didn't know. He couldn't think over the insecurities being forced on him. It was so hard to stay calm, to focus on evening his breaths and counting slowly, when the angel's anger threatened to consume them both. Eren didn't know how it was affecting him, didn't realize his newfound emotions were influencing Levi's. Didn't realize the danger it put them both in.

"Eren!" shouted an unfamiliar voice. "Stand back!"

A newfound panic consumed Levi at the openly hostile force approaching, and realized it was his own. He tried to back away, tried to distance himself from the angel. Just when had he fallen to his knees? He had no recollection of sliding to the ground, yet here he was, on all fours in the dirty street. But it didn't matter - what mattered was getting away, because that threat was perceiving _him_ as a threat, and he knew that if he fought back, he would die.

"Marco?" came Eren's shocked tone. "Marco, what are you doing here? What are you - "

Panic from both sides of the bond clawed at Levi's chest, and he forced open eyes he didn't realize he'd closed. Two figures stood a mere few feet away, the one that wasn't Eren approaching threateningly. Levi scrambled back on all fours, a feral, wary growl rumbling deep in his throat.

He could feel his muscles burning and skin itching, and the terror only intensified. Not now, fuck, not now! Why now?! Levi had always been able to control his panic responses, control the automatic instinct to transform, but double the fight or flight urge took more will to control than he had.

"Eren, get back! Let me handle this!"

Levi reckoned he must have been a terrifying sight; spaded tail thrashing about wildly, fangs bared in a defensive snarl, skin rippling as fur and feathers threatened to burst forth. Eren's fear came crashing into him even worse than before, but that was the least of Levi's concerns. The unfamiliar angel - the gatekeeper, he was called - was raising his staff.

"Don't - " Levi managed in a hiss. "I'm not - !"

Then, without warning, Marco slammed the end of the staff on the asphalt with brutal force.

Pain, a fierce pain that resonated through the demon's body. The shockwave of magic cracked the street and slammed into Levi, sending him flying from his hunched position into one of the dilapidated brick buildings lining the streets. There was a sickening _crack,_ and Levi curled in on himself with a weak moan. The burning in his veins was gone, replaced by the horrible pulsing pain.

"Stay down!" the gatekeeper ordered.

What the hell did that kid think Levi was doing? He wasn't going anywhere - everything hurt too much. At least the transformation had stopped; if the ravenet had turned, he had no doubt he would have been killed.

"Is - is he dead?" Eren asked quietly, and Levi couldn't describe the emotion transferring through the mark.

"He isn't," Marco replied, then commanded, "Hands where I can see them."

Levi made the effort to roll onto his back, hissing sharply as the pain spiked, and raising his hands in the air obediently as a symbol of surrender. _Surrender,_ Levi internally scoffed. _I was already surrendering._ He kept his eyes closed as the angel approached, and felt the polished brass end of the staff poke at his chest.

"What were you doing with Eren?"

The demon cracked one eye open, taking in the sight of the gatekeeper. A patch covered his right eye, and his left wing was folded to his back, pure white and glistening in the light. The mangled mess that used to be his right wing was curled protectively under the left. Levi exhaled slowly and let his head fall back against the pavement.

"I was returning him, you dense motherfucker." A harsh jab at his ribs had him hissing defensively. "The fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Watch your tongue," Marco said calmly, delivering another jab with the pole. "Now, what do you mean, returning?"

"Do I look like an idiot to you?" _Smack._ "Stop doing that!"

"Marco, please - " Eren tried to intervene, but Marco ignored him.

"Answer my question."

"I was trying to, you dumb fucking cripple! Is your brain as impaired as your wing?"

That hit a nerve. The gatekeeper's knuckles turned white, and the next jab was aimed at his stomach, earning a groan. "Answer. Me."

 _"Do I look like a fucking idiot to you?"_ Levi snarled, baring his fangs as he rolled onto all fours, glaring harshly up at the angel. Marco took a step back and raised his staff in warning as the demon rocked back on his knees, kneeling now.

"Stay back!"

"Do you really fucking think I'd just prance in here with this little shit at the risk of _losing my life_ if I had the intention of hurting him? Here, in an area crawling with _your_ kind, where I can't even use my power to its full potential?"

"Then what _are_ you here for?" Marco demanded. "Why haven't you hurt him?"

Levi pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. "Oh my fucking god. God!" He raised his hands to the sky, calling out derisively, "Your little angels have the mental capacity of a fucking peanut! Make better ones!"

His skull throbbed as Marco hit him over the head with his staff. "Do _not_ mock the Lord!"

"Marco - " Eren tried again, once ahead gone unheard.

"He's not my Lord," Levi responded in a vehement hiss, "and He never will be. But that magical man in the sky is Eren's Lord, and I respect that. He's an innocent, and we're not supposed to touch him. Which is why I came to return him, before you fucking _attacked_ me, you blind, useless, pathetic son of a - "

"Enough," Marco intercepted. "I don't understand why a demon would return one of our own, but I'll be taking you both. I'm sure God will appreciate your actions."

"There's these things called laws of war," Levi grumbled, bristling at the sarcasm. "And common fucking decency. We're not all like the shitty rogues you find here on the surface."

Another dull _thwack_ on the head, and Levi swiped irritably at the staff as it was yanked out of his reach. "Silence," Marco ordered. He reached into thin air with one hand as if he was grabbing something. His hand disappeared from sight, and suddenly, it was visible again, and he was holding a length of thick, silver threaded rope. "I'm going to have to ask you to hold out your wrists, demon."

"I have a name," Levi hissed, eyeing the rope wearily. "And you're dumber than I thought if you think I'm getting anywhere near that shit."

"Demon - "

"His name is Levi," Eren interrupted loudly, furious at this point. "And there is absolutely no reason to tie him up! Especially not with silver!"

Marco turned to him with a patient smile. Speaking slowly and gently, as if talking to a child, he replied, "Levi is a threat, and we need to detain him to make sure he doesn't cause trouble."

"He's done _nothing_ to you!" Eren nearly screamed, his face turning red, angered at the treatment he was receiving.

"He is a hostile force - "

Eren immediately shoved him, and the war-torn angel stumbled. "Hostile? _Hostile?!_ " He shoved Marco again, looking absolutely livid. "He _saved_ me! And you - you just - you attacked him, without any warning! Without asking any questions!"

"He could have hurt you - "

"But he didn't! And he didn't hurt you, either!" Another shove, and Marco was on the ground. "I'm the hostile one here, Marco! Why aren't you detaining me?!"

Levi was looking on with curiosity and satisfaction as Marco stumbled over his words. "Well - I - you're an angel, so - "

"So you're judging him for being something he has no choice in being?" Eren spat. "What kind of angel are you?"

The shock melted from Marco's face at the harsh jab, replaced with something inscrutable. He gathered himself, rising to his feet. "A cautious one," he said simply. His back turned to the other two, he continued, "Now, if you're done with your fit, follow me. His Holiness has been worried sick about you."

Shaking with rage at the way Marco spoke to him, Eren was tempted to attack. Levi could see it in the way his fists and jaw clenched, could feel it through the half-formed bond. Hastily, the demon stood, knowing it was a bad idea for his new angel friend to start a real altercation, but a sharp pain in his abdomen had him hissing sharply. It was surprising how quickly Eren spun around, anger melting into concern.

"Levi!" The young angel was by his side in a moment. It was cute, the way he reached out to steady the ravenet, concerned about the safety of someone he should have hated. "Did he hurt you? I swear, I will ruin him - "

Levi shooed his worries away. "I was just caught by surprise. I'll be fine in a few moments." It was true - now that he had pinpointed the pain, it wouldn't take long for his magic to mend any injuries, considering he wasn't using any of it.

"Come on," Marco barked impatiently, and the two began to follow him, though admittedly at a slower pace than necessary. It seemed they were both determined to be as annoying as possible.

"Where do you reckon he's taking us?" Levi asked, trying not to show his nerves. He hadn't expected to be recruited into some meeting. When Eren bit his lip, looking concerned, the demon had to fight to keep it off his own features.

"I reckon . . . probably to meet my father."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont even remember writing most of this but i hope you still like it


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh I forgot a solid 70 percent of my plans for this so I have no idea if im even going to continue this, but since some readers are being lowkey nasty and demanding about 67 days im updating this instead out of spite

"Eren."

"F-Father."

He wasn't kneeling anymore - he was groveling. They'd been brought to a pillar of light, where Marco had confiscated the knife from Levi's belt before shiving them in, in and they'd found themselves blinded. Before they knew it, they'd appeared before the Holy Throne, and Eren had dropped to his hands and knees before his father, pressing his face against the floor with his entire frame trembling. Levi was shocked at the cold distance radiating from the Heavenly Father, the indifference towards his son, towards one of his most important angels.

"You know I've always told you never to leave."

"I know. I-I'm . . . I'm sorry, Father."

Grisha sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. Strands of gray tainted his rich brown hair and beard, and deep lines covered his forehead, surrounded his eyes and mouth. The definition of wise. The definition of  _old._

Snapping his eyes open, Grisha scowled at the demon. "And  _you._ Be careful what you think when you're here. Nothing is secret from me."

He didn't comment on the pointed  _fuck you_  that Levi internally spat.

Turning back to Eren, who had dared to look up at his father, Grisha continued. "You know the consequences of going to the surface."

Eren's lip quivered. A sort of terror Levi had never felt before washed over him, and he did his best not to stagger. He could see the tears shining in beautiful turquoise eyes and had to blink his own. He already hated this bond.

"Yes, Father."

His voice trembled violently, and Levi's heart ached. Grisha sighed deeply.

"I'm going to be lenient because you seem to have been punished enough."

It was as though the Maker had struck his child; Eren cried out as if a whip had lashed his back, flinching violently, and Levi found himself protesting, blood pounding in his ears.

"What the  _fuck_ did you - "

Before the accusation could even come out, he realized he was wrong - Grisha hadn't hurt Eren. At least, not physically. Grief - gut-wrenching, twisting, tight, painful grief - wormed its way into Levi's vulnerable heart, and he gritted his teeth, willing it to go away.

"The better question, I believe," Grisha said coldly, dark eyes boring into Levi's as the demon dared to make eye contact, "is what did  _you_  do?"

Levi's blood ran cold. He knew. Of course he knew. The mark Levi's fangs left on Eren's neck were hidden away by his silky locks, but they all knew they were there. The deity stood then, towering, powerful, and absolutely terrifying, and he felt fear course through every nerve in his body and Eren's.

"You have tainted my son," Grisha rumbled, his voice taking on an otherworldly echo, eyes glowing with a radiance that nearly blinded the two cowering before him.

"I had to," Levi snarled, defiant in spite of the rising threat, and that was a fatal mistake.

Fury flashed over Grisha's features. He swept forward with more grace than Levi expected for someone so angry, and a swift arc of his arm through the air sent the demon flying, a burst of wind throwing him against one of the room's many pearly white pillars. A sickening crack accompanied the collision and Levi couldn't withhold the small whimper of pain elicited as he fell to the floor.

"L-Levi . . . "

He could feel the distress through the bond, disbelief accompanying it. Levi's own regret coursed through his veins. Spite overwhelmed it in an instant.

That fucking child, that angel spawn, that disgusting  _thing_. Why had he saved him? He should have left the stupid thing to Kenny, let him die, or worse. It was none of his fucking business. What had his generosity gotten him? What kind of reward was this?

"Filth like you should pay for your crimes," Grisha said coldly.

This was it, Levi thought dully, closing his eyes against the pain overtaking his senses. An invisible force held him to the floor, preventing him from getting up - not that he was exactly trying, after that kind of collision. Marble floors cracked under him from the sheer pressure of the magic holding him, crushing his chest and making it impossible to breathe.

This was what he got for not doing the demonly thing and letting the kid die. What a merciful God He was.

_"Stop!"_

The thrum of malicious energy in the room that Levi hadn't even noticed dissipated then. Vaguely, he wondered what Grisha had been about to do, though there wasn't much other than (or worse than) death for a demon. His thoughts didn't continue after warmth enveloped him in the form of Eren's arms. The brat he saved, the one that put him through this, but Levi couldn't muster up any anger, could barely even open his eyes to see what was happening.

The first thing he saw was gold.

Brilliant gold, glowing, beautiful, swimming in an ocean of tears. Eren. A sort of fondness seeped through the guilt and anger and terror Eren was filtering through their bond, and Levi was almost content enough to close his eyes again.

Gold?

Levi jerked, heart pounding as their eyes met. This was wrong. He had to tell himself that, had to scream it in his head and will the warmth away. Gold was not a color for the innocent. Gold was fire, it was fury, it was greed and vengeance, and it did  _not_  belong where breathtaking teal was supposed to be.

"He saved my life," Eren whispered into the dead silence, and the thrumming of Levi's heart calmed somewhat. Despite the righteous anger radiating from Grisha, Levi's instincts promised him the immediate threat had passed. The gold was gone, back to that beautiful sea green, as if the lapse had never happened.

"He destroyed your life," the god corrected in a tone of eerie calm. Levi could see the muscles in Eren's jaw clench and could feel the struggle to control his feelings.

"He saved me," Eren reinforced strongly, and his father gave a short bark of a laugh.

"Look at him." Grisha glared down at the demon in his throne room, practically curled up in a ball in his son's lap. "Pathetic. A demon, daring to taint you, daring to step into our territory, daring to come into my realm and spew his venom at me!"

"Well maybe if you weren't such a royal prick all the time he would have been nice!" Eren's voice was rich and powerful, his voice raising into something almost  _regal,_ a stark contrast from the sort of high-pitched scratchiness it got when he was emotional. It was oddly humorous to Levi, aching body and all, that he was using that strong presence to call God Himself a prick.

Silence followed and tension crackled in the air like electricity. Levi closed his eyes against the hostility in the room, head pounding, and Eren's hand subconsciously went to the demon's forehead, pushing his hair away from his face. Grisha's voice was quiet when he spoke again, almost sad.

"Do you realize the extent of what he's done to you?"

Eren was too proud to shake his head. Grisha sighed.

"Show me your wings," he ordered.

In an instant, Levi's interest was piqued. His wings. Eren had been smart enough to hide them, and he hadn't shown them since they'd met. He forced his eyes to open once more, and saw Eren's troubled face staring back down at him. The angel exhaled slowly, squeezing his eyes shut, and it seemed that no matter how angry he was, he couldn't ignore a direct order from Grisha.

A golden light lit the room, not blinding like Levi expected, but soft. He still had to fight to cover his eyes, his head throbbing at the brightness. The light source was at Eren's back, between his shoulder blades, and before Levi's very eyes it molded and shaped itself into the outline of what was unmistakably a pair of wings. The demon was fascinated. Keeping his eyes open was suddenly a breeze.

The light got brighter, and in the same instant, it vanished, revealing a set of beautiful white wings, large enough to wrap around his body if he wanted them to.

Upon closer inspection, Levi noted that the root of each feather was a light seafoam green that bled into bright white about halfway up. The extra appendages curled protectively around Eren, and Levi noted with growing curiosity that the inside feathers closest to where the wings sprouted were completely green. Levi had never seen wings like these before. They were absolutely breathtaking.

"Stand." Eren did so without a word. "Turn."

He obeyed, and Levi's eyes widened a fraction in horror. A small spattering of black feathers, sprouting from between his shoulder blades - only six or seven feathers on each wing, but enough to be obvious. Grisha let out a weary sigh, and Eren took that as his cue to turn back around. It seemed that he somehow knew now, be it by the response or simply feeling it the moment he freed the appendages; his shoulders and wings drooped visibly, and shame spread across his features.

"Well?" Grisha spoke into the tense quiet. "What have you to say for yourself, demon?"

Levi had nothing. What  _was_ that? Black feathers . . . black feathers, much like his own, on an angel?

"I have never seen that before," Levi finally replied, voice much weaker than he wanted it to be, and he winced at the way his throat protested painfully. He propped himself up on his palms, heaving into a full sitting position, and tilted his head. He had lived a long time, and in that time he had seen spoiled angels, had met mated angel-demon couples, even seen the way innocents warped and changed when they were captured by the hunters, but never in his life had he seen this effect. Black feathers.

Then again, he had never seen wings like Eren's in general. An angel's wings were pure, snowy white, with the exception of vague purple tints for the archangels, and, when an angel was dying, they faded into a dull grey. But this natural, beautiful green . . .

What the hell was Eren?

"He is special," Grisha answered his unspoken question. He laced his fingers together and rested them on his stomach. "You have heard of him, have you not? The surface urchins may not care, but the rest of you are under very strict orders not to touch him. Am I correct?"

Levi's eyes narrowed, and he nodded mutely. Eren stood silently, but Levi knew he was listening carefully.

"What do you mean, they're under orders?" he asked shakily. Did he not know? How much  _did_ he know? Was he left in the dark as well?

"You are special," Grisha reiterated firmly. "The ruler down there also has motive to see that you do not come to harm. To do so would be worse than an act of war."

Eren and Levi looked at one another. Levi had guessed as much, but it was another thing entirely to hear it verbally confirmed by God himself. Eren, however, did not seem to have been aware of a single bit of this, as confusion swarmed Levi from the bond. He shook his head a few times and opened his mouth to speak, but eventually was quiet once more, simply settling on a shocked expression.

"And you, demon, have done worse than hurt him. You have tainted him." Levi's blood chilled. Eren looked confused, however.

"But . . . I've seen it before," he said slowly, looking lost. "Tainted angels. They've reverted. If you just . . . isolate me, and purify me . . . "

The lack of response was terrifying. Several emotions crossed Grisha's face at once - uncertainty, anger, loss, fury once more, and then sadness. He passed a hand over his face before speaking, and he sounded genuinely troubled when he did.

"Not you, my son. I cannot save you."

Shock, distress, anger, shame. A myriad of emotions struck Levi, both his own and Eren's alike. Why? Levi was an average demon, after all. His taint was not some powerful version of it, nor was it accelerated to anything past its basic state. It should have been easy to reverse the effects. Why Eren? Of all angels, of every living creature that Levi could have found that day, why did it have to be Eren? What was so wrong with them that he had to suffer this?

Grisha spoke once more, composure regained. He glared down at the pathetic form of Levi. "So you both understand why I must punish you severely."

"No!"

Eren's voice was forceful. It was astonishing how quickly his presence would change from a meek little boy into a defiant man. Not just anyone could challenge the Heavenly Father and survive, and Levi wondered how often he did it, or if he even realized the privilege he held. He was getting tired at this point, though, tired of the way his heart kept speeding up and slowing down, tired of the constant shift in mood, tired of his emotions changing every ten seconds, tired of the overload of wild information.

Was Grisha going to kill him or not? If he was, he should do it already.

"You've hurt him enough," Eren said firmly. He hesitated then, and more softly continued, "If I hadn't gone to the surface, none of this would have happened. If you never do anything else for me, at least don't hurt him."

The tension in the room was suffocating. This was it. This determined whether Levi would die at the hands of God Himself, or live to see countless more days with half a bond muddling his own emotions with someone else's.

"Then I shall not," Grisha relented. He didn't look very happy about it. The relief Levi felt through the bond was short-lived. "He shall return to the surface, and so long as I never see him again, he shall not be struck down by one of ours." God stood, and lifted a hand to point at Eren. "And you shall never see him again. You will stay on the surface, and so long as you never disobey me again, the taint shall not spread."

Levi didn't understand why Eren so strongly protested that notion, and it seemed Eren wasn't sure either. This time, however, he suffered silently. This was his price to pay. It wasn't as though anything could have come from this. They had met mere hours before, and Levi destroyed his life. There was nothing else for them. Eren was a special angel, protected by everyone, and Levi was a basic demon that royally fucked up.

Eren took a deep breath and nodded, casting his eyes submissively to the floor. "Yes, Father."

That was the last thing Levi heard from Eren before he was enveloped in blinding light, and dumped unceremoniously on his ass back into the dirty alleys from whence they had met.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and suddenly,,,, plot

It was not his proudest moment, being dropped gracelessly on his ass in the middle of a dirty alleyway, but Levi supposed he should just be happy to be alive. Alive, despite the aching all over his body, despite the bone-deep pain that radiated all over. Despite the insufferable ache in his chest that filtered in from the other side of the bond.

He lay there for a moment, taking in his surroundings, and finally deduced that he was, in fact, alone. With that, he allowed cooling magic to overwhelm his body. It found every tear, every fracture, and with a few ice blue sparks, the injuries faded to nothing. There was a faint ache lingering as he stood, but the real pain had been taken care of - all except the harsh pangs in his chest. No amount of magic could soothe that. He would just have to put up with it, it seemed, until Eren had calmed down.

Eren . . . just what the hell was he?

His eyes were the sea, and his wings - his wings were the foam. They were positively breathtaking. He had never seen wings like that before. Eren had to know he was special, right? And yet the way he had reacted, the way Grisha had spoken about him as if he was not there, the distress and extreme cruelty at his lost innocence . . . and that part was Levi's fault.

No. It was  _not_ his fault. He had to tell himself that a few times, remind himself of his innocence; he did it to save Eren's life, and would not have even touched the kid if it were not for the fact that he was being chased by the most dangerous hunter on the surface. If Kenny had just fucked off and let them be -

_Kenny._

Why was Kenny after him? Of course, the sick bastard was always after those unsuspecting pure angels that had broken the rules and ventured out into the cruel unknown, but rarely did he bother Levi in his pursuits. They had an agreement. He and Kenny went a long way back, and wherever Levi was, Kenny would not follow. It was the only way to keep the unstable peace between them after the incident.

And yet, despite that, he had dared to follow Levi after he had stolen his prey. He had risked the possibility of a fight and toed the line between what an acceptable interaction was. He had even been somewhat amicable when asking for Eren back. Why did he want him so badly?

Setting his jaw, Levi made his way to Kenny's hideout, determined to find the truth.

.-.-.-.-.

"It's . . . it's permanent?"

Armin's touch was delicate, careful, but Eren still flinched away as if he had been struck when those gentle fingers grazed the black feathers at the base of his wings, and Armin let out a small yelp at the same time. In a flash of light, the feathery appendages vanished, as Eren shook his head wildly. His friend seemed startled, and Mikasa made a noise of distress, reaching out to thread her fingers through his soft hair, soothing him as best as she could.

"I'm sorry," Armin managed, and Eren's tense muscles seemed to relax a little at Mikasa's attempts. "Does it hurt?"

Eren hesitated, cracking his eyes open. He wouldn't look at any of them. "It felt like . . . like a bolt of lightning."

Armin nodded. His eyes were stretched wide in comparison. He looked down at his fingertips, which were tinted red and tingling as if they were numb. "I felt it, too."

His gaze fell on the puncture marks on Eren's neck. They sat in one of the peaceful grassy fields of the Lord's domain, a tree sheltering them from the sun overhead. Usually bustling with activity, today, it was fairly isolated. Every place Eren went wound up otherwise empty, it seemed. Everyone talked, but nobody directly to him; they spoke in hushed whispers when he passed and refused to meet his gaze when he looked questioningly at them. Every angel in Heaven knew.

It was inescapable. Not only an angel that had sinned, but one that had been tainted, and somehow could not be cured. It had never happened before, as far as anyone knew.

"What's going to happen to you?" Armin asked shakily. Eren shook his head again.

"Father says if I stay up here and never see Levi again, everything will be all right," he said dully, folding his arms across his chest to grip his biceps, holding himself in an attempt at self-soothing. "I can . . . I can never see the surface again."

"I don't like this," Mikasa finally spoke up. Both of the boys looked at her, confused. Sure, none of them liked the situation. Not a single of their kind liked the situation. But then she added, "Why Eren? What's so special about him?"

It was a surprise to hear Mikasa say something like that about Eren, as she had always been so close to him, designated to care for him at a young age. If anything, she found Eren extremely special - she sure treated him like it. She was right, though. What  _was_ so special about him?

"He won't tell me," Eren answered. It was something they expected to hear in a stubborn tone, indignant even, but it came out in an apathetic monotone. "And if He doesn't want us to know, we aren't going to find out."

Eren was never the kind to give up. The Eren they knew would have been the first to march right up to the Heavenly Father and demand answers, to tear the heavens apart searching for the truth. Eren was a stubborn kid with an attitude that was unusual and unmatched by those of his peers' (though Jean was a close second). Eren was brash and adventurous and curious enough to sneak down to the earth just because he felt like it.

There was no sign of that angel now. Mikasa drew him into her arms, and Armin joined the hug instinctively. They were all scared, confused, and Eren . . . he just wasn't the same.

"Why wouldn't He want us to know?" Mikasa asked, a rhetorical question. There was no answer. There was never an answer when it came to the Heavenly Father, only faith. Faith that he was correct, that he was doing what was best.

Before, they were certain He was. They did not even think twice about it. They never questioned His judgment, never thought He could be anything but righteous and just. But after his deflection of questions, after his harsh treatment without explanation, after the uncharacteristic anger and abuse, they were all riddled with doubt. They had trusted so blindly before. Now, they were not so sure of his justness.

A soft clearing of a throat announced the presence of another, and the trio gently separated from each other. A tall blond man, his purple tinted wings folded neatly behind him, stood before them, an amicable smile on his face. Each of them dipped their heads respectfully to the archangel, an instinctual response. It was second nature.

"You seem down, Eren," Erwin said.

To their surprise, he knelt in the grass next to them, disregarding the white robe he donned. Erwin was an odd sort; he was an archangel of the highest respect, highly regarded by his fellow angel, had lived through war upon war and seen everything the worlds had to offer, and yet he was unlike the others. There was the cold distance in hid eyes that war brought to the warrior angels, but he was friendly, intelligent, always calm and collected.

His eyes landed on the mark on Eren's neck, but unlike they expected, his smile didn't waver. Instead, Erwin looked the younger angel in the eyes, voice controlled. "It's hard on you, isn't it?"

Eren searched for Mikasa's hand and held it tightly, anxiety rising in his chest, and she gave him a questioning look. He could not muster speech. Even if he could speak, he feared what he might say. That he hated this. That the mark ached. That everything ached. That he felt incomplete. That he . . . that he missed  _him._ Missed Levi. He could not fathom it, and he knew it was heretical, so he did not dare say it.

Instead, he nodded. Erwin mirrored the movement.

"It is . . . unfortunate that it must be this way," he said. He sounded like he was speaking carefully. Armin straightened, and Eren found he was curious as to what he had noticed. Armin was always much more perceptive than he was.

"Sir, do you - do you know something about it?" Armin asked, baby blues wide and questioning. It was Mikasa's turn to tighten her grip. This was thin ice they were walking on.

Erwin cocked his head, eyes narrowing in what was either suspicion or thoughtfulness, perhaps both. After a moment of silence, he answered, "I'm afraid not," and he sounded truthful. At Armin's disappointment, he added, quietly, "However, there may be a place where you can get answers."

It was like a hush fell over the field. The breeze that moved the branches of the tree and the colorful wildflowers around them faded until the air was still. As one, the trio's eyes narrowed, and Erwin looked at each of them in turn. He looked up at the sturdy oak that shaded them, as if he was contemplating something, and after another silence, spoke once more.

"If, for some reason, Eren were to go to the Hall of Scriptures alone," he said carefully, "and, for whatever purpose, tell the bookkeeper that I sent him, they just might be able to help him."

With that, he stood, dusting dirt from his knees and smiling once more at them. Eren stared at him, trying to decipher that expression, trying to figure out what was going on in the archangel's head. He found nothing, and Erwin left them then, alone and confused under the tree, nobody else in sight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay. I lost a thousand or so words writing this chapter and it was hard to get back into it.

"State your business."

"Uh, to see Kenny? Fuck else would I be here for?"

Both sentries let out angry snarls, and Levi matched their glares with a fierce one of his own. Before things could get more heated, however, the man himself walked outside, stopping his gargoyles by holding up a silent hand.

"Levi," Kenny said distastefully, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. "How . . . nice."

Levi rolled his eyes. "Let me in, will you?" He pushed his way past the hunter, and the gargoyles snapped at him as he passed, but Kenny merely followed him inside. They stood in a cozy looking den, with a bar at the far end and a grotesque looking lizard man behind it. "I want to talk to you about something."

"Just talk?" Kenny asked, doubtful, and Levi rolled his eyes.

"Just talk," he promised.

Kenny relented, and they made their way to the bar. Wordlessly, he signaled for a drink, and the scaly bartender offered them each a whisky on the rocks, accompanied by the bottle. It was rare that they got together like this. They were known to butt heads, and sometimes quite violently, but they could be convinced to get along. Levi took a sip from his glass, relaxing as much as he could. He was determined to make this visit nonviolent.

"So what's your deal, kid?" Kenny finally asked, peering over the rim of his glass at the other demon. "When I heard you knocking, I was sure it was to beat my ass for the other night."

"I'm surprised you never came after me," Levi snorted. He leaned on the bar, swirling the ice in his glass. His eyes narrowed and he locked gazes with his uncle. It was a standoff; Kenny had no idea what Levi was going to say, and Levi did not know if his next words would initiate a fight. Finally, he asked, "Why go after Eren?"

Kenny barked a laugh, looking noticeably surprised at the question. "Why  _not_ go after him? Have you any idea what the market looks like for him?" He shook his head, grinning, and gulped down his whiskey before speaking again. "The moment his presence was sensed on the surface, dozens of demons clamored to put a bounty on his head. I thought you were smarter than that, kiddo. When something's forbidden, everyone wants it."

"But why is he forbidden?" Levi pushed. Kenny raised an eyebrow. "Him, specifically?"

"You think that old bat would preach to the entirety of the Underworld the dire need to keep him safe if he was just another pure soul?" Kenny helped himself to another glass. Levi held his forward and the older demon topped it off generously. "Fuck if I know what it is. Some of my . . .  _clients_ are nobility. I'm sure they know exactly what it is that makes him so special."

"But you don't?" This was slowly becoming a waste of time. Kenny did not know anything, and he was not about to betray customer confidentiality so Levi could interrogate someone else.

"Do I look like I care? Money, power, and favors are worth far more to me than some little brat, no matter how special he is."

Levi shook his head and didn't respond, instead choosing to practically inhale his second glass. Kenny sighed.

"Quit moping, will you?" He gave Levi a rough smack to the shoulder, and it took everything he had not to bare his fangs, indignance flaring in his gut. Kenny chose not to notice. "Look to the leaders of the Underworld. If anyone's got answers, it's them."

Levi nodded. It had been a while since he had visited the place of his birth, but if he wanted answers, it was time to return. He slid off the high barstool and gave a brief nod to Kenny in farewell before turning and heading for the door.

"Hey, Levi."

"Hm?"

Kenny raised a hand goodbye. "Don't get your hopes up."

Levi snorted. "Thanks anyways, old man."

.-.-.-.-.

The Hall of Scriptures was full of dust, so much that every footstep left it swirling around Eren's feet. He traced a finger across a book and it came back nearly black. Mildly disgusted, Eren wiped the dust off on his robe, and tried to ignore the way it tickled aggravatingly at the back of his throat.

"Hello?" he whispered into the dark. When there was no response, he felt stupid. Of course nobody was here. Nobody cared about their history, and anyone who did was long asleep by now. Downcast, he turned to leave.

Suddenly, a panicked yell split the musty silence, and then -  _crash!_

Eren let out a hoarse shout in spite of himself, jumping about a mile and falling into a stack of books. Dust kicked up, making him cough wildly. His eyes watering and lungs heaving for air, he sat up, waving his hands around in an attempt to clear the air around him.

"Ah - fuck!"

Startled, Eren whipped his head around to stare at the source of the voice. Who in the heavens  _swore_ _?_ There was someone coming towards him, and as the dust settled, he could see messy brown hair and a pair of glasses that were totally askew.

"I am  _so_ sorry," they said hastily, and promptly fell over another stack of books with a loud clattering noise that made Eren wince. "Shit!" Eren could only stare as they picked themselves back up again and started moving towards him more carefully. "Visitors never come at this time of night - well, they really don't come at all, you know, nobody is interested in history."

They finally came to a halt in front of him and offered a hand. Eren stared dumbly at it, then back at the person's face. "Who - ?"

"Name's Hange," they said, fixing their glasses with their other hand and giving a friendly smile. "I'm the record keeper. You're Eren, right?"

Eren accepted the hand and pulled himself upright, attempting to brush grey from his clothes. Unfortunately, not much happened except spreading the dust around. "How do you know?" he asked, bewildered.

"Erwin told me to expect you," Hange answered matter-of-factly. Of course. "You never came, though, so I stopped preparing. I was so startled when you came that I fell out of the loft!"

Guiltily, Eren ducked his head. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I had to convince myself to come."

Before he could spiral, Hange clapped their hands together excitedly. "That's perfectly okay! I'm just happy to have any company, you know. Especially someone as fascinating as you." Eren looked startled, and the librarian laughed. "Sorry! That's weird. But you really are interesting, aren't you? Follow me."

Carefully maneuvering through the maze of books, Hange directed him to a ladder. Eren followed them up into a small second floor that was more like a platform, with a few small bookcases, some more scattered tomes, and something like a bed in the corner - it looked more like a nest of blankets. There was a table with two chairs on the opposite end of the little room, overlooking a window, and Hange offered him a seat.

"So the bond, what's it like?"

Surprised, Eren asked dumbly, "What?"

"The bond," Hange emphasized, pointing at his neck as they bustled around the room. "That little pest bite you've got. Water?"

Mindful of the dust, Eren was about to reject the offering, but after seeing Hange pull out two pristine water bottles he changed his mind. "Sure. And . . . Levi isn't a pest."

"Isn't he?" Hange asked curiously, finally settling in the chair across from Eren as the boy chugged water. "He ruined your life."

"He  _saved_ it," Eren countered in a suddenly strong tone, glaring at Hange, and they grinned.

"Did he?" they mused, sipping their own water and raising their eyebrows. "Well, that brings me back to the question at hand. What's it like?"

The power was gone, replaced with avoiding green eyes and a frown. Eren sat his water on the table and looked out the dusty window. It overlooked a garden, overgrown but far from dead, with little flowers popping up all over the place. He gave a small sigh.

"It's shameful."

Hange rested their chin in their hands, elbows propped up on the table. "I won't tell anyone. I swear on my position."

"I . . . " Eren bit his lip, and then released it again. To admit it was terrifying, but he felt he could trust Hange. And, of course, it was not like saying this aloud would really make him any more heretical than he already was. "I want him."

He did not know what he expected. Disgust, definitely, anger perhaps. Certainly not a low whistle and eyes sparkling in fascination.

"First of all, Eren," Hange said, straightening up and growing serious, "it's not shameful to want him. It's a natural part of the bond. That's why it's called a bond, you know."

"It . . . isn't?"

Hange shook their head. "It isn't. And second - what all do you want to know? I know you came here for answers. Answers the Holy Father couldn't give you."

"Tell me everything," Eren said immediately, and then faltered. "I mean . . . I don't know  _anything._ I don't even know enough to know what questions to ask. So please, tell me everything you know."

Hange eyed him contemplatively, glasses shining in the dim moonlight that spilled in from the dusty window. They laced their fingers together on the tabletop and looked out the window. Eren was glad - he did not enjoy the scrutiny.

"You're special." Eren almost scoffed. Of course he was special. It was all anyone ever told him. "If anyone deserves to know why, it's you, but I can't claim to know the answer. I have my theories as to why you can't be cured of the bond, but I won't explain them just yet. Not without more information.

"It's important to note that the bond has always been curable because it is incomplete when we see it. Only half of it has been created. That is, the demon has claimed the angel, but the angel has not claimed the demon in return. Sometimes, an angel has gone back to their demon and completed the bond. Whether you choose to do so or not is not a decision I will weigh in on.

"The yearning is a side effect of the incomplete nature of the bond. When complete, as far as the readings say, you can feel each other at every moment, waking or not. It fills the loneliness and, while you still want each other, you can stand to be apart. It isn't called a bond for nothing, after all. It implies closeness. Until you complete the bond with your demon - " At this, Eren made a face, and Hange broke into a chuckle. " - yes,  _your_ demon - you will feel this yearning."

"What about Levi?" Eren asked, trying not to feel absolutely doomed because of that last part. "Is he going through anything?"

"Oh, a lot." Hange leaned back in their seat, resting their hands behind their head. "Anything you feel, he feels. There's probably some thoughts he picks up on, too, if they're particularly clear. And, of course, he feels the pull, as well."

"And there's really no way to cure it." His voice was almost a whisper now, guilt seeping into his tone. This was all his fault. He was naive and refused to listen. He ignored his friends, his mentors, and most importantly, his Father. Because of everything, not only was he suffering and would be for the rest of his existence, but so would Levi. "There's nothing I can do."

A contemplative silence. Hange's eyes on him felt like he was being peeled open and inspected, probed, researched.

"Maybe there is something you can do."

Eren's eyebrows shot up. He did not dare to hope, but - "Really?"

 _"Maybe,"_ Hange repeated, a little stern, as if reiterating his own warning to himself: do not hope for too much. "We can't remove the taint, but maybe we can treat it, in a way. That is, if you're willing."

"I'm willing," Eren answered immediately. As much as he wanted Levi, it caused too much conflict. How much of him wanted Levi and how much of it was just the bond talking? Was Levi worth losing everything he was and wanted to be? The answer to the first, he did not know, but the answer to the second was  _absolutely not._ Nothing would ever be worth that. "What would I do?"

"Well," Hange started, sounding simultaneously hesitant and placating. They straightened their posture once more and the descent from mildly casual to solemn was intimidating. "I can't promise results. I can't even promise to make treatment my first priority. What I'm proposing is a deal."

The interest remained, but weariness filtered in. Eren realized with a jolt how stupid this all was, how reckless he was being. He was spilling the beans to an angel he'd never met before - an angel that almost nobody in the heavens knew of - and taking all of their answers as fact. But Eren was never known for his sense unless it was his sense of adventure, and with rampant curiosity he decided,  _what do I have to lose?_

"Tell me the details," he said. Hange smiled, calmer than their previous grins, and leaned forward to speak in lower tones.

"I want to research the bond. We have hardly anything in the library about it. I want to fill tomes with as much as I can."

"And what's in it for me?"

"We both want answers, don't we?" Hange coaxed. "Here's my proposition: you do as I ask, I study the bond and what things do to it. In return, I look for some kind of treatment or cure. We get caught, you take the fall. It's not like you have much to lose in that department anyways. You can back out anytime if you're uncomfortable and I won't blame you for it. You interested?"

They offered their hand, staring into his eyes. Eren wanted to be the kind of person who thought seriously about this sort of decision, or even rejected it, but he just could not make himself. The excitement about the danger of this situation, the intrigue and desire for answers, the craving to see Levi again, all made it too tempting of an offer.

"It's a deal," he said, shaking Hange's hand, and there was that grin, almost catlike in appearance. Playful, but scheming. "What do you want me to do first?"

Hange seemed to hesitate, and suddenly Eren was having second thoughts. Just how big was their first request? They were already starting off big enough that it was a doozy to ask? Would all requests be like this?

Eren comforted himself with the thought that he could back out anytime.

"I want you to meet up with him again."

That was simultaneously terrifying and not nearly as scary of a request as Eren expected. Of course, he was definitely  _not_ supposed to see Levi under any circumstances. The Heavenly Father had made that crystal clear. And yet, with his condition being permanent, how much worse could it really get? His life was already ruined. He still wanted to see Levi again. This entire situation was just killing two birds with one stone.

He took a deep breath and released it. "Tell me what to do."

Hange smiled once more. Was that pride on their face? They stood, and Eren followed suit as they moved to the edge of the loft.

"There's an unused portal nearby. It meets by the ocean, near where you two last met. Nobody worries about it because this place is so remote that even if some demons did show up here, we'd have plenty of time to fight them back before they damaged anything. You're going to meet him there and simply let things happen, and I'm going to observe."

"How will he know to meet me?" Eren asked, confused.

"You're going to tell him," Hange replied.

That was right. Levi could hear clear thoughts, if what they said was correct. So, with a deep breath, Eren sat on the edge of the loft and thought hard.

And a thousand miles below him, a raven-haired demon jolted as if struck by lightning.


End file.
